Chapter 2

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Zade's POV

"As much as I would love to stay and continue this illuminating conversation, I have plans. It was undeniably not a pleasure to meet you." With that remark, laced in arsenic, the diminutive woman swiftly turns her back on me, clearly uninterested in sparring further. 

Disappointment and relief play tug-of-war as I stand rooted to the spot, gaze never leaving the infuriating, sassy, beautiful woman valiantly trying to ignore me. Never before have I been so tempted to leave a woman alone and shelter her at the same time.

I must be a little loopy from skipping breakfast this morning; infuriating and beautiful do not belong in the same sentence. 

Running a hand along the side of my face, I can feel the effect of three-day stubble. Involuntarily I grimace, feeling a little bit like a hobo who has experienced life on a tilted axis. Returning attention to the problem at hand, it is quickly apparent that my morning tormentor realizes she can't make it down the trail alone.  A small smile escapes from my ice-man facade as I envision her groveling for my help.

Abruptly, the disarming beauty wobbles around until she is facing me, shoulders straight as a rod, face posed in granite, battle-ready. 

For a single moment our eyes clash together and her stormy brown eyes, flecked with bits of honey and gold, lock onto mine sending an electric current shooting throughout my body.  Unwilling to entertain the idea of attraction, I drop my gaze briefly to study her enlarged ankle, before lifting to her oval-shaped face.  

A pink lip pouts out as two white teeth bite down briefly before she manages to grit out words which feel like sandpaper upon the tongue, "I need some help please. I don't think I can make it back down alone." She gestures jerkily toward the direction of the parking lot.  

Swallowing a sarcastic retort to the effect of 'I could have told you that'  I bask in satisfaction which tastes almost as sweet as Champagne. 

Cupping my right hand next to my right ear, I tilt my head in her direction. "Huh, I didn't catch that. Were you begging for my help?" I stand up to my full height and flex the rock hard biceps I work so diligently to maintain, commenting smugly "I do have these incredible muscles you were ogling earlier." 

If eyes could shoot sparks of fire, those hazelnut beauties would char me like the outside of a campfire marshmallow.

Slim arms cross her chest, chin jutting out defiantly, eyebrows raised high. "I have never ogled anyone's muscles."  Managing to hide a smile behind a fake cough, the rapid tapping of her fingers against her left thigh catch my attention as I realize she is squelching the urge to stomp her foot like a small child. 

In spite of my initial annoyance with having my morning run carelessly interrupted, she seems harmless enough and wielding humor and charm instead of a battle ax just might be the solution to rescuing the damsel in distress without us killing each other.  Having lived sixteen years with two younger twin sisters, humor tends to be one of the best deflection methods when tensions are escalating. 

"Darlin', we were both there. Just admit it, you're attracted to me."  Shrugging one shoulder, I am conscious that the hours I pour into strength training sessions are on display via an amazing six pack and defined leg and arm muscles. 

Throwing her head back, she murmurs incoherently toward the blue, cloudless sky before huffing out a long sigh.  "What I want is to make it down this trail, to the car, and home to ice my ankle. Are you going to help me or not?" Waves of annoyance hit me where it hurts, my pride.

In three long strides I'm crouched right next to her, observing brusquely, "dang you're sassy," before abruptly placing one arm behind her back and sweeping her long tan legs up with my other arm. Hoping she will ignore the stench of sweat and pine I exude, I swiftly stand up and begin walking back down the hill.

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